A New Life
by obvioustwilightlover
Summary: This story continues from the end of Eclipse. Yes, the first chapter has Jacob in it, but please read anyway! I think youll like the ending...please review! copyright c.n.g. 2007
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer : I do not own the legal rights to the Twilight series

Copyright 2007 by C.N.G.

A New Life

1. Secret Plans

I ran. I ran for miles and miles, never looking back. I ran for hours, for day, without stopping or eating. In fact, I didn't even feel hungry. I was too consumed by my other emotions: sadness, anger, helplessness, grief, betrayal, love, hate…Pain, in general.

How could she have chosen that leech over me? He was cold, deadly, dangerous. Did she even know how dangerous? A little voice in my mind answered me: _She knew the risks. She chose him over you anyway. She loves him. _

"She loves me too!" I cried out loud. "And she knows it."

_And, obviously, she loves you more. _

"Great," I muttered. "The voice in my head is turning sarcastic."

At least now, though, there was only one voice. The first days of my, er, trip, the pack kept trying to communicate. I could still remember all their threats, their reassurances and their so-called comforts that were supposed to make me feel better. Quil's voice had come first.

"Jake? Where are you, man?"

"Hell," I had answered simply.

I heard him sigh. "I'll get Sam." True to his words, Quil's voice faded from my mind, replaced by Sam's in a few minutes.

"Jacob. Quil told me you're in Hell. Why?" His deep, commanding voice urged me to answer.

"Because that bloodsucker, that leech, stole my Bella! He had no right! He had no right to take her back after he left her! She would have been mine. She _was _ mine."

"Was, Jake. She's with them now. She's not coming back. Let it go. Let her go. She's not going to come back." Of course, Sam was right. I knew that. I understood that. But that didn't mean I accepted it.

"You'll have to accept it sooner or later," growled Sam. Then he was gone from my mind. By then, I had been running for almost 4 hours.

I kept going. I ran through the next few days, but on the 3rd night, I fell to the ground. Pain shot through my whole body, shaking me as I lay on the ground. What was wrong with me? I'd never felt this much physical or mental pain! My eyes stung with hot, dry tears. I still shuddered on the ground, and I realized I was changing. Some parts of my body were wolf, some human. The shuddering was coming from the transformations, which were happening so fast that it made me dizzy just looking at my body parts. What was going on?

Then it hit me. The pack. I was too far away. And the only reason that I would be too far from the pack would be…that I'd left Quileute territory. I was out. I'd left my pack behind, my family, my tribe. They were gone. And I sure as Hell wasn't going back for them.

Another realization dawned on me. If I was feeling so much pain, were the others? If so, they would be coming after me soon. I had to keep moving. With an immense amount of will, I got up off the ground and changed into what I really was: a wolf. I took off again, speeding through forests, across plains, and around lakes. 2 days later, I felt a shift in the wind. A strong smell burnt my nose and chilled my bones. I had smelt this before. What Bella would smell like. Vampire.

My chest got tight. If the wind had been blowing in the opposite direction…But it wasn't, I told myself. I shook the thought out of my head and sniffed the air again, though it hurt my nose and lungs. There were seven of them…no, eight. I had only smelled seven at first because those ones smelt so strongly that I hadn't noticed the 8th. They were a few miles north-west of me. I progressed more slowly now, carefully, quietly. If I got too close, it was possible they would smell me. Caution was absolutely necessary. I advanced until I was about a quarter of a mile away, then crouched down. I perked up my ears. One was speaking.

"We must do her will. The girl worries her, and, though she would never admit it, scares her. Seven of our kind protect her, which is why there are eight of us, and why you are all newborns.

"She had hoped that the female from a while back, Victoria, would finish the job, for she had a small army of newborns with her. However, she was killed, dismembered and burnt. She obviously failed. She had her own motivations for trying to kill the girl. But her anger was not enough."

The name Victoria had startled a silent snarl from me. My lips curled back in distaste and rage. Victoria. The catlike, red-haired, female who had tried to kill Bella. I had a special hatred for that bloodsucker. She had come to hurt my Bella. To kill her. I and my pack, even the Cullen leeches, had returned the favour. The red-haired one was gone forever.

Yet, these parasites were discussing her. Discussing her failure. It seemed as though they, too, wanted to hurt my Bella. No. I would not let that happen. They would die, not her. I resisted a strong urge to jump up and howl. I had to keep listening.

"Who is this human? What does she look like? We need to know all about our target." This was a new voice. It must be one of the…what had the leech said? Newborns. What did that mean? Innocent children? But she had said they could win against those Cullens. That meant…they were strong. Even stronger than that big stupid one? I froze. Not good. I heard sounds of a short scuffle, a yelp, and the snarling voice of the first vampire reached my ears.

"Listen up, newborns. The human is not your target. She is _mine_. You are only here to fend off our kind, should they interfere. Got it?"

"Y-yes, Heidi. Got it. But do you mean that the vampire family currently living in Forks would try to stop us?" That was the newborn again.

"I'm positive. Now, commit _your_ charges to memory. They are under the guise of being an adoptive family. Carlisle, father, doctor, 23. Esme, his wife, mother, 26. Emmet, very strong, 20. Rosalie, his wife, extremely beautiful, 18. Jasper, affects emotions, 20. Alice, clairvoyant, 19. And, finally, Edward, the human's boyfriend, is 17 and reads thoughts as they pass through your head. A strong family. They are your responsibility. Now, I will describe the human to you, so that you do not bite her. Her name is Isabella Swan, Bella to her friends. She's brunette, pale-skinned and pretty enough…for a human." She smirked, and I heard snickering. "Her father is the chief of police in Forks, and his name is Charlie. Bella herself moved to forks only a few years ago. As you know, she is immune to skills that affect the mind, and hates blood. Ironic, isn't it? Her blood is particularly…how shall I put it? Many vampires find it more irresistible than other humans. I will kill her. A caution, though: there is a certain Quileute tribe of werewolves – they have a treaty with the aforementioned vampire 'family', who go by the name of Cullen. If a vampire bites a human, the wolves can and will attack. As soon as I kill the girl, they will come. Be ready, The members of the pack are: Sam Ulley, alpha male; Jacob Black, 2nd in command; and 7 others, Quil Ateara, Seth Clearwater, Embry Call, Paul, Brady, Collin, and a female, Leah Clearwater. The only one you _really_ have to worry about is Jacob Black. Apparently, he is, uh, a natural. He could very well destroy a newborn."

I grinned evilly at the praise and at the revelation of the bloodsuckers' plans. I was extremely angry and hateful towards these parasites especially, and I knew what I had to do. With all the self-control I had left, I turned human and walked the rest of the way to the clearing where the leeches sat.

"Something smells," I heard a voice say just before I saw them.

"That would be me," I said. "Jacob Black." Than I phased and attacked wildly. With the element of surprise and my hate and anger as fuel, I quickly slashed at two of them. With satisfaction I saw I had decapitated one. I saw another opening and dove…


	2. Chapter 2

2. Awakening

"AWOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I sat up straight in my bed. The howling sounded like it was coming from right outside my window. It was a deep, mournful sound, full of pain and sadness. Was it Jake? My heart stopped for a second. Was he hurt? I had never meant to hurt him… But maybe it was physical pain, not caused by me at all! I needed reassurance that my theory was true. Unfortunately, Edward was out hunting tonight and tomorrow, leaving me alone in my room, where I wasn't feeling particularly safe.

So I left it. I crossed the floor to the door and opened it. I saw a sleepy-looking Charlie just opening his bedroom door. He looked at me. I padded over quickly.

"What's going on? It sounds like there are wolves right outside our house."

Charlie rubbed his eyes wearily and muttered, "I can't see anything out my window. How about you?"

"Um…I didn't check." Oops.

"Then let's go." He followed me back to my room, and we both looked out the window, towards La Push. From the window, it sounded as though the howling was coming from there. As we watched, more voices joined, one by one. In the end, there were only 9 different howls, though. Where was the tenth, I wondered. And who was missing?

"Please be okay, Jake," I whispered.

"Why wouldn't he be okay, Bells?" Whoops. Apparently, I'd spoken louder than a whisper. Quick, an explanation! Not that Charlie would guess the truth, or even believe it.

"Well, because, uh, he might have…gone for a walk! If those wolves are howling because they caught him…"My voice trailed off.

Charlie snorted.

"You think…you think that Jacob…has been attacked…"

"Or eaten," I interjected, playing along.

"Right," agreed Charlie, trying to keep a straight face. "Jacob has been attacked or eaten by a pack of wolves. You're probably right…" Then he burst out laughing.

I smiled weakly. Charlie wouldn't understand.

"Yeah, I…I guess I'm just being paranoid."

I had to get down there. I had to go to La Push.

I had just woken up and was wondering when to go to La Push when the phone rang. I caught it halfway through the first ring. I had been sitting beside it, anxious, as though I could sense that an important call was coming.

"Hello?" I said breathlessly. I realized I hadn't breathed in a while.

"Bella?" I recognized Quil's voice, but it wasn't eager as usual.

"Yes. Quil, is everything alright?"

There was a pause.

"No. But I – I mean we, the pack – think we should tell you in person."

"Quil, what happened? Where's Jake?" I knew my voice sounded panicked, but then again, I was panicked.

Another pause.

"It's…It's not something you should hear over the phone. Come down and we'll tell you. Sam and Emily's house." The phone went dead.

I freaked out. I grabbed a jacket for the sole purpose of staying warm. Strangely, the sun was out today.

I was relieved that Charlie was already at work. It wouldn't have been easy to explain why I was suddenly leaving for La Push, or why I had seemed so anxious on the phone.

I ran out to my truck and started it up, probably startling the whole state awake. As I rumbled down the street at 50 mph, I cursed myself for not accepting Edward's offer of a faster car. I felt so helpless and slow in my truck, but it was the fastest human way to get to La Push. If I were a vampire right now, I could have run to La Push. Then again, if I were a vampire, I wouldn't be allowed to go to La Push. That was a serious setback. However, if something had happened to Jake, that would make things easier…But no! He's my best friend! How could I hope he was hurt?

When I got down to Quileute territory, I was still arguing about this subject in my head. However, when I reached Sam and Emily's house, my mind shut up. It seemed so…depressed. Like no good memories were ever made here, like it was a place of doom.

I parked my truck in front of the house and got out quickly. My previous plan, which had been to yell out everyone's names until someone came out, was banished from my mind. I couldn't bring my self to utter a single cry. I felt like I was trespassing.

I walked up to the front door and knocked quietly. Embry came to the door. He opened it solemnly, and seemed to stare right through me.

"Embry? Where's Jake?" I whispered, my voice cracking.

His gaze focused, but his expression didn't change. He moved to the side, though, and taking this as an invitation, I moved past him to the kitchen.

They were all there, sitting down, standing or leaning on something. But I didn't see Sam. Or Jacob.

I looked at Emily, who was leaning against a doorframe with her back to me. Quil sat with his elbows on the table, head in hands. Paul stood in a corner, leaning on a counter. His fingers were white from holding on to the countertop, his face blank. Leah sat at the table, her head facing down on her folded arms. Her body shook. Collin, Brady, Jared and Seth were in the corner opposite the door, talking quietly.

I didn't know what to say. Should I comfort? No, because I didn't know what to comfort about. Maybe I could just ask where Jake was. I could get a quick answer and give in to grief if need be. Hmm. That could work. But maybe my blunt question would seem unemotional. If I just broke down crying and pretended I knew what was going on…

Fortunately, I was saved from probable humiliation when Embry came up beside me.

"She's here," he said quietly.

The newer werewolves reacted first. Jared and Collin uttered low growls. Seth turned away from me. Brady voiced their obvious opinion.

"What is _she_ doing here?" he snarled.

"She has as much of a right to be here as you do," retorted Quil. His eyes were red and wet. Was it because he was separated from his 2 year old imprinted? Or was it something else?

Jared shuddered.

"If you can't control yourselves, get out. Or I'll make sure you get out," Quil threatened in a low voice.

Collin abruptly walked past me, followed closely by Brady, and then Jared. As Seth followed suit, he paused beside me and whispered:

"I'm only leaving because I'm afraid my anger with them would make me phase. I'm really sorry, Bella. I wish I could stay." He left.

I looked at Quil. He came over and gave me a quick hug. It hurt my back and chest, but I hugged him back briefly. He sat back down, but continued to look at me.

Emily turned around, but didn't move towards me.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Okay, by now, I was annoyed. Knowing better than to ask Paul what was going on, I turned to the only other person in the room I hadn't yet communicated with.

Leah still shook, her face hidden. I went over and put a hand on her shoulder. _That _made her move. She looked up at me.

"We're all grieving. Don't be afraid to show some emotion, Bella," she said fiercely.

That did it.

"I'll grieve as soon as I find out what happened to Jake!" I nearly yelled.

"You…you don't know yet? Quil didn't tell you?"

I glared daggers at Quil.

"No, he did not."

"She didn't need to hear it over the phone!" he cried.

"HEAR WHAT!?" I shouted, fed up.

"QUIET!" bellowed Sam. His voice, normally calm and commanding, was agitated, and came from the door that Emily was leaning on. I put two and two together.

"Sam's in there with Jake? Jake's hurt? How bad is it? I have to see him!" I walked briskly to the door, planning to push past Emily and barge into the room, and possibly start a yelling match with Jake.

"No, Bella." Emily's calm voice stopped me.

"Why can't I see Jake?" I demanded.

Emily took my shoulders.

"Sit down, Bella."

"I…"

"Sit down if you want to hear about Jake."

I sat.

Emily still held my shoulders, as though trying to hold me upright.

"Jacob left a week ago. Said he needed to 'get over you'. He didn't come back. Those howls you heard last night were, as you probably figured out, the pack. They mourned the loss of a member."

"Loss?" I asked, uncomprehending.

Emily looked at me pityingly.

"Jacob's dead, Bella."

I stared at her.

"Jake…dead?" I repeated slowly.

"Yes, Bella. Jake is gone."

I shuddered. No. Not Jake. Not…forever. Not dead. Not now. We could have stayed friends…we could have worked it out. But now we couldn't. We could never talk again. Ever.

The pain came then. My eyes filled, overflowed. The tears streamed down my cheeks, soaking my face, neck and the collar of my shirt in moments. I slid off my chair and onto my knees, bending forward so that my torso was parallel with my thighs.

"No," I moaned. "No. Not Jacob. Not now. Not ever. NO."

Emily had let go of me. I wasn't sure if she had done it on purpose, or if my shaking shoulders had loosened her grip.

I don't know exactly how long I sat, clutching my stomach like I had when Edward left. Eventually, I sat up. I still held my torso tightly, but I managed to get back on the chair. I sat up straight and shook most of my hair out of my face. The others had all gone back to their previous positions. I looked at Emily; her back was turned again. I took a deep breath and said:

"So what's Sam doing?"

Emily's tapping fingers froze.

"What?" she said dumbly.

"What's Sam doing? He's been in that room this whole time. He hasn't said anything except 'quiet', which he yelled, because we distracted him from whatever he's doing. As alpha male, he would have said something to the group. He hasn't. Whatever it is he's doing must be pretty darn important. So what's going on?" I finished my short speech, sort of breathless, but I felt pumped, awake. I wanted to know exactly what was going on. It was, I believed, my right.

Emily hesitated.

"This could take a while to explain," she warned.

I shrugged. "I've got time."

She moved to lean on the other side of the doorway so that she could see me more easily.

"I'm not sure where to begin…"she mused.

"Last night, maybe," I volunteered.

"Right. Well, maybe I should start a little earlier than that…"

"Why?" I asked, puzzled.

"Because what Sam's doing has to do with Jake's…" she trailed off. "Trip," she finished.

"Oh," I said. "Then…tell me everything from when he left."

"Erm…"she looked a little embarrassed. "I, uh, I'm not sure what happened exactly… Maybe one of the pack knows." She looked meaningfully at Quil, who had his head in his hands. "You know, someone who might have talked to him the night he left. Or when he phased. One of his best friends, perhaps."

Quil looked up.

"Okay! I get it! I…communicated with Jake. We were both wp;ves. I asked him where he was. He said…Hell. I told him I'd get Sam. Then I phased back. That's all we said."

Emily and I stayed silent.

"What!?" exclaimed Quil. "Don't look at me! That was the end of our conversation."

Emily and I still stared at him.

"Okay! Fine! You got me. I know more." He sighed. "I just…wasn't sure if the rest of the pack wanted me to tell." He looked around the room. Leah was still crying, but Embry gave a small nod of approval. The four of us looked at Paul. He decided to stare blankly at Quil.

"Well?" asked Quil. "Can we tell Bella?"

Paul turned slightly to look at me. His face was still smooth and unmoving, but his eyes held emotion. Only one, though. Hate. Pure, solid, hate. Human hat mixed with wolf hate. It gave him a wild, James-like look. It scared me. I realized how much more dangerous Paul was than the others. He couldn't control his anger. He shuddered.

"Paul! Cut it out!" yelled Quil.

Paul froze, then relaxed.

"You're right, Quil. If I killed her as a wolf, those leeches would come. I'll kill her as a human, then!" He grabbed a carving knife from the counter and lunged.

But I had reflexes too by now. I dove down from my chair just as a large body flew over me. Before I even hit the ground I heard a huge crash, then snarling. I looked up.

The huge silvery wolf that was Paul was pinned to the table by the biggest 4-legged creature I had ever seen. It was Jacob-coloured, and held Paul down with one paw on each of his arms and legs. Paul thrashed, but couldn't break the bigger wolf's hold. I heard Emily make a noise and turned my head towards her. She was just outside the door, which had been reduced to splinters. Did that mean…the big Jake-wolf was actually Sam?

I turned back to the struggle, and as I watched, something amazing happened. The bigger wolf's hair shortened, its body grew smaller. It shuddered a couple times, and in a few moments Sam, in human form, was pinning Paul, still a wolf, to the kitchen table.

I gasped in shock and heard similar sounds around me. Yes, Sam was big, but so was Paul. And, the leader of the pack was currently human. What was going on?

Suddenly, Paul growled, then whined.

"You heard me!" rumbled Sam. He jumped off the table, and Paul crashed out of the kitchen and the house.

We all stood or sat in shocked silence, staring at Sam. In a flashback, I remembered how this had all started.

"Thank you for saving my life," I said.

Sam turned to look at me.

"No problem," he answered simply.

"NO PROBLEM?" cried Emily. "You, in human form, just pinned Paul as a wolf! You tackled him, held him and, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you also communicate with him telepathically? If that's not a problem, Sam, then it's at least an issue!" She ended her explosive rant. As I looked at her more closely, I noticed she had tears in her eyes. Sam must have noticed too, because he was at her side in an instant.

"Emily, honey, what's wrong? I didn't hurt you again, did I?" His voice was anxious and worried.

She shook her head.

"No, Sam, I'm fine. But are you? I mean, what just happened? That was crazy…and scary."

Once again, we all looked expectantly at Sam, who sighed.

"Sit down, all of you, and I'll explain," he said finally, sitting down himself.

The rest of us hurried to grab chairs.

Sam took a deep breath.

"It has to do with what I was doing in the room. I…I've been going through Jacob's thoughts."


	3. Chapter 3

3. Jacob's Discovery 

"What?" I asked dimbly.

Sam sighed.

"Last night, the whole pack experienced extreme pain, so, naturally, we howled for our loss. I'm pretty sure they heard us in Seattle!" he joked. Quil gave a grim smile, but no-one else reacted.

"Anyway," Sam continued,"we were quite loud, and I'm sure we scared many people. But I was scared too, I admit. Because, even as I felt the sadness and anger of the whole pack, I was also consumed by Jacob's feelings. _All_ of his feelings., from the moment he was born to the moment of his passing. That was why I reacted first. I felt so much more pain than the others. I thought I was going to die.

"But I didn't. And I received more than emotions. I now posess all of Jake's memories. Everything he had been through, everything he felt, everything he thought, said, experienced, made enjoyed, hated, loved. If I had his physical appearance, I could easily continue Jacob Black's life."

Embry had an intrigued look on his face.

"If all this happened when we were wolves, why didn't the rest of the pack experience it?"

Sam frowned.

"I'm not sure. I think it may be because I was the first to phase, or because I'm the alpha male. Anyway, I was going through jake's life, to find out where he went and how he died. And I found out quite a few things. We have a new mission," he added, addressing his pack.

I stood uncertainly.

"Maybe I should leave, then."

Sam hesitated then shook his head.

"No. Stay, Bella. I'm sorry, but this concerns you." He took a deep breath. "And…your bloodsuckers should be informed."

I froze. What could be such a threat that that both werewolves _and_ vampires needed to know about? On only one occasion had that been necessary. I sat back down, dizzy with fear.

"Victoria," I whispered.

Embry grinned.

"The red-haired cat-like leech? We got her, remember? Ah, good times, good times." Quil chuckled.

Sam did not seem pleased.

"Don't joke about that. She was hard to take down, and you know it. But these ones will be much worse, I think. And stronger."

I knew I paled. Only two kinds of vampires could be worse than Victoria and stronger. And I doubted the Volturi had come to Forks.

"Newborns," I croaked.

Sam looked puzzled.

"That term came up in Jacob's memories. He didn't know what it meant, and I don't either. Obviously, you've heard of them. Care to fill us in?"

I cleared my throat, feeling like some kind of librarian.

"Newborns are the strongest vampires. For the first year after someone has been bitten, they have the strength – and thirst – of ten Emmets. He's the biggest Cullen," I added for their benefit.

"Size of an ox, brain of an ox," muttered Embry. I ignored him.

"He's extremely strong, though," mused Sam.

"Yes, he is. But no challenge for a newborn," I put in.

Then I remembered something.

"But newborns are wild, usually almost completely consumed by thirst. Someone must be leading them, telling them what to do." I looked at Sam, who seemed startled.

"Your knowledge of their kind is quite impressive. And useful. Yes, there was another bloodsucker. A female. Jake didn't notice her at first because she didn't smell as strongly as the others. One of the…newborns called her Heidi.

Heidi…where had I heard that name? Maybe Edward had mentioned her…Hmm. I had heard of her somewhere.

"I recognize the name, but I can't place it. I'll ask the Cullens. I don't understand what this has to do with me, though."

Sam met my gaze.

"They're assassins. From what I gather, Heidi is supposed to kill you, and the others will fend off your leeches. There were seven newborns, but Jake got three." He grinned.

I was still in shock. This would be the third attempt on my life since my arrival in Forks. Wow, I had managed to upset most of the vampire race.

"I…I think I should leave now. Go talk to my contacts, you know." I tried to laugh, but only coughed.

"Wait. I haven't told you everything. Jake was only about 2 days off Quileute territory when he found the leeches. He also got the impression that the group was acting on someone else's orders, a female who is worried and scared of you. There. Those are the essentials. Now, go inform your 'contacts'. We'll let you know if we find out anything else."

"I'll do the same," I promised. "Thanks a lot, you guys. Bye."

"Bye, Bella," Emily said softly.

"Do you want a ride back, Bells?" asked Quil.

I gave him a watery smile.

"No, but thanks, Quil. I'll be fine. Bye."

I left the house quietly and climbed back into my truck, starting the long trip home.


	4. Chapter 4

4. Meeting With The Cullens

I ended up not going to Charlie's house, but directly to the Cullens'. It was, to me, my real home. As I drove out of Forks, I felt distinctly safer. When I got onto the long, shady driveway that led to their house, I felt as though no harm could come to me.

When I finally saw their spectacular house, I actually sighed in relief. It felt so good to be here again, to know that I would soon be surrounded by beings who wanted to keep me safe and who cared about me. I was so excited to be seeing them again that I left my truck running and had jump back in to turn it off. Then I ran up to the front door and knocked hard.

"It's Bella!" I yelled as a warning. I didn't want to surprise anyone. That could end very badly.

Esme answered the door.

"Esme!" I exclaimed. I felt a strong urge to hug her.

"Bella! What a surprise. I didn't think you'd be back until Edward finished hunting."

My face fell.

"He's not back yet?" How disappointing.

"No, honey, I'm sorry. But he should be back later this afternoon. Would you like to come in anyway? Alice, Carlisle and Rosalie are home." Her heart-shaped face was full of invitation. Even if I had wanted to say no, I couldn't have.

"Bella!" came a voice.

"Alice!" I cried. "Where are you? I tried to look past Esme, who stepped aside, smiling.

Alice came down the staircase quickly, obviously happy to see me. She gave me a big hug, though she was careful not to crush me.

"Oh," I said, seemingly bored,"There you are."

Alice laughed. The sound was like wind chimes, music in my ears.

"Don't over-excite yourself, now. Come to my room, I've got some, er, stuff we can do." She glanced at Esme. I did too, just in time to catch a conspiratorial wink.

Strangely, I suddenly became wary.

"Alice," I warned,"don't do something you'll regret."

"Oh, don't worry, I won't regret it at all. In fact, I just know I'm going to enjoy myself! And you will too!"

"I seriously doubt that."

She laughed again.

"You're such a pessimist! Come on! You aren't a coward, are you?" she teased.

"Yes, actually, I am, and proud of it!" I replied, chin high.

"Ha! Well, you're an honest coward at leasr! Now come on up to my room."

I sighed. No sense arguing with Alice when she was in one of these moods. I looked at Esme, my last chance being that she would take pity on me and save me.

"Sorry, Bella. You heard Alice. Go to her room!" she attempted the angry mother voice, making it sound as though we were in trouble. But she was smiling, so it ruined the effect for me.

I grudgingly followed Alice to her and Jasper's room, and she led me right into the bathroom. It was about the size of a bedroom, complete with a toilet, a giant bathtub that was more like a hot tub, a sink with 2 toothbrushes and a tube of toothpaste on the side, and a mirror over the sink.

"Wow," I breathed. "This is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been tortured in."

"Oh, stop it, Bella. You know you're interested." She opened the cabinets under the sink and reached in with one hand. With the other, she grabbed my wrist.

"So that you don't try to escape," she explained.

"As if I would make it very far," I muttered under my breath, knowing she would hear. Then, to my horror, I saw what she took out from under the sink.

"Alice, put that back right now. Drop it." The bright box could only contain one thing : makeup. I imagined grabbing it as soon as she let go and emptying it into the toilet.

"Don't even try, Bella. I saw that. This will be fun, don't you worry." She pulled me back out to her room and sat me down on the ground. She took the lid off the box. As I had feared, it contained makeup. But it appeared there was another kind of kit inside the box. It was a hot pink purse-type thing, and the first item that Alice pulled out.

"What is that?" I asked warily.

"This, my dear Bella, is a home spa kit. It comes with a rujevenating mask made with real avocado extract! And you," she added menacingly, "are going to wear it. Got it?"

I decided to try another tactic. She didn't react to resistance, so what if I cooperated? I forced all the fake enthusiasm I had into my voice.

"Got it. Let's do this!"

It worked. Sort of. Alice seemed surprised, but opened the kit anyway. Inside, there was a package of green goop, two white cloths and a CD. On top of it all was a small page of instructions.

" 'Spread the mask over your face quickly, avoiding contact with eyes. Wash your hands, then put the calming CD in your CD player and relax. The mask will harden, and you will experience a tingling sensation. Enjoy for as long as desired. Then, carefully lift the mask off. Wipe off the remains with a wet cloth. Enjoy your spa party! In the case of contact with your eyes, immediately contact the nearest doctor or optometrist…' " She broke off. "Let's not read that part, shall we? Ready?"

She took out the pack of toxic-looking liquid, preparing to rip it open. I stalled.

"Uh, maybe you should open that with a pair of scissors, Alice. I wouldn't and stain your floor or our clothes."

She looked at me suspiciously, but left the room. Unfortunately, she was backin a few seconds with a pair of scissors, a wide grin on her face. She slowly cut the pack open. I gulped.

"Uh, you know what Alice? I think I might be allergic to avocado…" Too late. She was already spreading the goop all over my face. Ew. I squeezed my eyes shut.

"All done!" she cried triumphantly.

"Your turn!" I replied. I tried to grab the pack from her hands, but she dodged. Just then, I heard the noise of a door opening downstairs.

"Honey, I'm home!" called Emmett. If Emmett was home, so was Edward!

I jumped up, racing out of Alice's room and to the top of the stair case. And there he was.

Edward stood just inside the doorway, but even from the stairs I could see that his eyes were a beautiful topaz color.

"Edward!" I called. I started down the stairs.

"Bella! What happened? Were you in an accident? Why is your face covered? Are you okay?" He was at my side on the staircase.

I stayed completely serious.

"It's Alice! Look what she did to me! Now I have to wear this awful green mask! She was so mean to me!"

"Alice!" bellowed Edward. "Get out here right now!"

Alice appeared instantly.

"What have you done to my fiancee?" He said in a low voice.

Alice appeared shocked.

"Why, Edward! Why are you so upset? It's just a home spa kit, a rejuvenating mask. Oh, no! She's not actually allergic to avocado, is she?" She seemed genuinely worried.

I cracked up. I couldn't help it. I had fooled Edward and Alice! Alone! No help!

I took off the mask easily, and smiled up at my 6 foot 2 sweetie.

"My face is fine, Edward. But I'm seriously scarred for life. She honestly scared me, with her dramatics." I searched his face for any sign of laughter. I expected him break out at any second. Instead, he stepped back and held me at arm's length, looking me over carefully.

"So you're fine? You're sure? You're not hurt at all?" He seemed anxious.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Edward. Why wouldn't I be?" Something was bothering him. Why else would he be genuinely scared for me? "Tell me," I whispered, knowing that everyone else would hear me.

Edward passed a hand over his face. He suddenly looked very weary.

"Everyone should find out together, I think. Emmett, Jasper?" He looked at them for confirmation. Emmett nodded.

"Let's go to the living room," suggested Jasper. We all walked to the huge room. Esme and Carlisle were already there and sat on one of the couches. Jasper, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie all grabbed chairs. Edward led me to a loveseat. I didn't lean on him, but moved to the other side of the small couch so that I could see him better. He looked directly at me, and I noticed Jasper and Emmett did too, causing everyone to look at me. I squirmed uncomfortably.

"What?" I asked. Edward took my hands in his cold ones.

"Bella, I'm deeply sorry. Truly, I apologize. But…on our hunting trip, Emmet, Jasper and I found something rather disturbing. Bella, I don't know how to tell you this, but…Jacob Black is dead." He held his breath, probably expecting me to break down crying. Well, I'd give him a shock.

"I know," I said simply.

"You…know?" Edward asked, unbelieving.

"Yeah. Suspected it last night, found out for sure this morning. Know how it happened, who did it and why. I also know why he died, where and when. Anything else left to cover?"

"How did you find out?" asked Jasper.

Knowing my answer could cause some unwanted reactions, I decided to look down as I answered.

"I asked the pack." I held my breath.

"The…pack," said Edward slowly.

"Yeah. You know, the La Push boys."

"Please tell me you did that over the phone, Bella."

"Uh…do you really want me to lie?"

"Dammit, Bella! The time I'm not here, you decide to go to La Push, alone with a pack of werewolves, and chat calmly? Why?"

Now I started my defense.

"Well, I heard the howls last night, so I was planning on going down anyways. But then Quil called, told me something was wrong and that I shouldn't hear it over the phone. So, I met them at Sam and Emily's house. I have an alibi, if you'd like to ask one of them. Emily's human," I added.

I heard Emmett snort and looked over at him. He was obviously trying not to laugh. When Edward turned to look at him too, Emmett answered him.

"She's got you there, Edward. And, obviously, nothing happened because she's here with us." Then he burst out laughing.

"I know all that, Emmett. But I still don't see what's so funny. Oh," he said after a second. He grinned. "Yeah, I guess she is."

Apparently, he had read Emmett's thoughts. Although the rest of them didn't seem bothered, I was burning with curiosity to find out what had gone on between them. Emmett figured out the look on my face.

"I was just thinking, that's twice today that you've outsmarted Edward!"

The comment was funny, and I gave a small laugh, as did Jasper, Alice, and Esme. Carlisle only smiled, and Rosalie didn't seem impressed by her husband's sense of humor.

Eventually, the laughter faded, and Jasper spoke to me.

"But something's still bothering you, Bella. Something important. It's eating away at you. What is it?"

I remembered Jasper's ability to sense emotions. It seemed to have developped. But he had brought one of my concerns into my head.

"Well," I started, looking at each of the immortals in turn. "I have been wondering about something. One of the vampires that was present when Jake died was named Heidi. I know I've heard her name somewhere, but I can't place it. I was hoping you could help me with that."

I heard Edward give a low growl. I turned to look at him. His upper lip was curled back in a snarl, his eyes furious.

"Apparently you know her. So who is she?"

"Edward?" asked Carlisle. He sounded alarmed. I looked back at the vampire sitting beside me. I nearly screamed.

His whole body was tense, his fingers even whiter than usual because he was grasping the loveseat so tightly. His face was pained, angry. His eyes were almost completely black, with the exception of a few flecks of gold. But it wasn't because of thirst. His eyes contained hate and anger, and they were the strongest emotions I had ever known him to have.

Jasper must have sensed my terror because he came over to me and took hold of my upper arm, pulling gently. I wanted to follow. But Edward disagreed.

His arm shot out, and ge grabbed hold of my wrist. I froze. He met my gaze. His eyes scared me so much I was paralyzed. Then he closed his eyes. He seemed to be struggling to regain his self-control. On an impulse, I shook the arm that Jasper still held free of his grasp. He let go. I took a moment to calm myself down. Then, closing my eyes, I reached out and put my hand on his face. I held my position, willing my calm to flow into him, to make him feel better, to make him feel less guilty than I knew he would. I wanted him to know I forgave him, to know that I didn't blame him. We stayed like that for a while, I was never sure how long. It seemed like an eternity. After a time, I gathered up all my forgiveness, all my love, all my calm, and all my self-control in my mind. Then, I imagined all those emotions forming into a ball of warmth and landing in Edward's mind and heart. With all my mental strength and will, I wanted it to enter Edward. I couldn't stand to see him in such pain.

Then I started talking to him in my head, hoping my thoughts would soothe me, and he would feel my calm. _I don't blame you, honey. I love you. I'm sorry for provoking you, I hope you're okay. I forgive you. You don't need to apologize. _

_Yes I do. _

My eyelids flew up, and I found myself looking into Edward's startled eyes, now completely golden.

"Did you just -" I started.

"Did we -" he said at the same time. We both stopped, and just looked at each other.

Emmett cleared his throat.

"Emmett!" scolded Rosalie. "Don't interrupt! They're having a tender and obviously private moment." She directed it to her husband, but even I could hear the curiosity in her voice.

Edward answered her unspoken question slowly, without breaking eye contact with me.

"I think…I think Bella and I just communicated telepathically."


End file.
